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>> If there was ever a time when circumstances warranted a special prosecutor, it is right now.>> Pressure building on the Trump administration to appoint a special prosecutor to take over the Russia investigation after President Trump fired FBI director James Comey, who was leading that probe. I'm Andy Sullivan in Washington where Democrats in Congress are pressing Trump's Justice Department to appoint somebody with wide ranging powers to look into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia in last year's election.

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Republicans so far resisting this option. They're worried that could amount to a blank check to investigate Trump. But it's not up to Congress to make that call. Trump's Justice Department would make the decision, specifically the number two person in charge there, Rod Rosenstein.>> Mr. Rosenstein has the authority to appoint to special prosecutor right now.

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>> Who's Rod Rosenstein? He's the one who wrote the detailed memo yesterday laying out the case for Comey to be fired, saying he mishandled an investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails. Rosenstein has worked for Democrats and Republicans, and is generally regarded as a straight shooter, but he may have to get buy in from his boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a Trump loyalist who faces questions over his own contacts with Russia.

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Forcing him to step aside from the investigation. There's another option here, Republicans like, Senator John McCain, calling for Congress to set up a special committee to look into the matter. Taking over the lackluster efforts mustered so far by the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. There are clear risks for the administration here, once they appoint a special prosecutor, they have no control over where the investigation may lead.

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Recall Kenneth Starr, appointed in 1994 to look into President Bill Clinton's business dealings in Arkansas. He didn't find anything there, but he did uncover an affair between the president and intern Monica Lewinsky, leading to President Bill Clinton's impeachment and years of political turmoil.